Consciousness and Emotional Intelligence

Once again, it has been a very long time without a post. It is not that ideas have ceased to run through my head but rather, I feel that blogging has become more of a chore than something I really want to do.

Actually, that is not the case. I think I have a complex in knowing that people will read it thus I must be careful with the words and ideas that are typed out onto this screen. It would be much easier if I could just let the ideas flow and my fingers press the buttons. Then I think too much and decide not to post.

Luckily, a perfect moment has arrived where I’m alone and I simply do not feel like doing anything else but writing. I do not want to read, nor watch Netflix, nor play any games and I surely don’t want to venture onto any social networks. I just want to venture into that familiar trance where the rest of the world slips away and I’m alone with my thoughts.

And speaking of thoughts, one of the main ideas that has been racing through my head is this idea of Consciousness. I have come to the conclusion that we are not fully consciousness It is like being only half awake or like walking in a fog. How did I come to realize this?

I’ve found that there are short flickering moments where I look around and really appreciate the beauty of the world around me. For a brief instant I understand the true value of friendships and the wonderful feelings that connecting with others truly brings. It is as though I am in contact with the true essence of consciousness, of life, of mind and of all that surrounds me.

Perhaps, living in this beautiful town by the coast I experience these moments a bit more often than most. Or perhaps, I have simply inundated my brain with so much wine, tea and then exercise that it has short circuited somewhere and thus redirects my focus to the joys of being alive a bit more than usual.

I believe we all have these moments and with a bit of practice such as with meditation can have them with more frequency. It seems to me that this increased “consciousness” would be a major step forward in human evolution.

As I look around at the world today I do not see this. I see people walking around in a fog. They go about their daily routines as though they are programmed. People live in a closed environment, and this environment is closed by their own choosing whether they realize it or not. For all this talk of “going social” on the internet I find that most people are not inherently social at all. If you simply say hello to a stranger these days it would seem more of a shock than a nice pleasantry deserving of a response.

Or perhaps I am more acutely aware of this because I am in the sales profession. It is my job to connect with people and I’ve become very good at it. I know how to say the right words, give the right facial expression and how to adjust to different personalities. I can easily draw people out of their shell and get them to interact.

I think it is possible to develop one’s mind to a higher level of consciousness. One exercise in which I do not have much experience is meditation and is something I’m very curious about. I’ve found that I cannot rest my mind for more than 8 seconds before it wanders off onto some common topic or daily activity. I actually tried to think of nothing many times today only to find myself thinking about certain things the day was going to bring.

And speaking of wandering I believe this post has done just that. A higher level of consciousness happens when someone dies. For a few hours or maybe even a few days we really appreciate our loved ones and recognize their value. But sure enough, these feelings slowly melt away as we return to the daily monotony.

Standing on a mountain with a beautiful view and to realize that we are just organic, self aware beings living on a rock that is flying through space in a universe of perhaps infinite size is a grand thought indeed. I wonder why we cannot hold onto these thoughts and use them to really appreciate being alive? How is it that religion has distilled the magnificent into repetitive drudgery and simple fairy tale stories that 95% of the population easily accepts?

Yes, most of us are asleep and I feel that in this moment of time only a select few can make that leap forward. They are those that can “think freely” and release themselves from all the mental programming they received in their early years. To truly be a free thinker is a difficult and uncommon thing indeed!

In regards to emotional intelligence I’ve recently realized that most people are not good at this at all! Perhaps I am being too harsh as it seems to be a skill and thus would take practice. Being a sales person I have plenty of practice at this as I must do it daily. But I do believe it is something I’ve always been relatively good at by the simple fact that I like people and I care about others. Maybe I am just selfish in that by making others feel good I myself feel very good.

Briefly glancing at the definition I can confirm that put simply, Emotional Intelligence is simply being able to recognize the other persons emotions even if they show no obvious outward signs. Or perhaps I am deluding myself as it is a combination of minute signals that betray the feelings inside. In any case, I am glad I can read them.

Now for something I cannot understand. The idea of murder, of killing, no matter the circumstances (war, freedom, whatever you want to call it) is so repulsive and horrible to me that I do not like to read about it, do not like to see it in the movies and sure as shit do not support it no matter what the government says.

Yet, I find that a very high percentage of my countrymen are readily willing to accept murder of others so long as the reason given is plausible. The only conditions are that they take place far away and to people they have no connection to.

I think that if someone walked into their living room and shot the visiting neighbor in the head (even if they were a bona fide terrorist) than their willingness to accept murder might drastically change.

Yet, when it is far away and for “freedom” then all of a sudden everyone is for more missile strikes.

And this my friends is the reason I do not believe that most people have enough “consciousness” and almost no emotional intelligence. They walk in a trance, willing to believe almost anything. Even if that “thing” is the opposite of what the mainstream are believing. It is as though people need to join others in their opinions and beliefs. If people were to truly think freely then would it not follow there would be an almost limitless amount of opinions and beliefs in the world?

But no, we have liberal vs. conservative. Catholic vs Protestant, vs Buddhist vs. Muslim. And you know what? My opinion and belief is the correct one while yours is wrong. Yes, with all the education and seemingly endless list of colleges most of the arguments come down to our own belief being right. And we KNOW it is right because it was what was taught to us.

How mundane, boring and completely stupid. Consciousness? We only receive flickers from time to time. Emotional Intelligence? It has been dashed against the rock of cable tv and a couple of generations that only understand two words. I and me.